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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: CX23882 on Mon, 23 March 2009, 14:36:22
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For me, noise is almost as important as the feel of the switches. The good news is that some of the best-sounding (to me) switches also feel good, although the reverse isn't necessarily true.
My absolute favourite would be the Ortek board I posted a couple of weeks ago with the IBM Model M/Unicomp Customizer being a close second, followed by the Cherry G80-3000LSCGB.
What about you guys?
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I have to with the IBM Model M. Its got the right type of noise for me and the tactile feel of the keys is second to none.
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My favourite is the IBM 5576-A01, followed by the Model F.
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i would have to vote for one of my ibm space savers. i have a few model m's, and even another space saver, but for some reason this particular one has a more metallic ping to it than the rest. and i absolutely prefer it.
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Model M, hands down.
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I'll vote for my IBM 1391401. The "well-oiled machine" feel extends to the sound, too.
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The first time I laid eyes, uhhh, EARS on my first blue Cherry-equipped keyboard (an SMK-88 with blues), I loved the sound. Love the subtle sound of the HHKB Pro's as well. And who DOESN'T love the classic buckling spring sound?
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I don't have a "true" Model M. I have only three mechanical keyboards anyway. Am I going to be the first one to say that I don't have a preference as far as sound is concerned ? I like them all because they are different.
What is my favourite one when it comes to how the keys feel under my fingers is a different story. Here, I would have to say my Customizer.
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I love the high pitched sound from Blue Cherries. I have yet to try a Blue Cherry board, though.
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I'm fond of most cherry blue 'boards--place a Scorpius M10 on a large, cushioned mat to minimize resonance, and I'm good to go. Although I've been liking the silence of cherry browns more and more these past few weeks.
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A Model F. Nothing beats that "ping" sound it makes.
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1. White Alps in the Northgate Omnikey 101.
2. HHKB Pro 2
3. DSI Mac Modular, blue Cherrys (You know, the one I have sitting in a box that I can't use while I wait for another month before they make the updated version? Yeah, that one sounds nice)
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It's a very close decision, but I have to side with an IBM model F keyboard. Next to that is an IBM M2, with its deliciously sharp clack as the switches do their thing.
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I have to say my number one right now is my ThinkPad keyboard, because it makes little noise and I often have to stealth compute. Of all time, though, I love white real complicated ALPS.
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The blues in a das (think its the plate)
Model M of course.
Probably the best though would be the subtle 'thup' of a a HHKB or Realforce.
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1391401. Believe it or not it sounds even better to me with a light coat of silicon grease on the springs. (all the click, much less ping).
The topre's 'thock thock' can be addicting too.
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Unicomp's modern Model Ms. I don't like the long tail ping of the older Ms I have, which also isn't consistent across the keys. But it's no *big* deal. I think it's mainly the buckling spring typing feel - which is second to none - that makes me love the sound they inherently produce, too.
With Alps I mean to hear the plastic friction that I feel. And blue Cherrys' cute little click blends well with the kind of "fragile" feel they have for me.
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1391401. Believe it or not it sounds even better to me with a light coat of silicon grease on the springs. (all the click, much less ping).
The topre's 'thock thock' can be addicting too.
I have to agree with you on the 'thock thock' of the topre. That would be my second choice behind the model m. For some reason the 'thock thock' sound reminds me of the Foxtrot comic strip.
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Yeah, the Peerless does have a decent sound, I will admit that.
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Probably my Customizer 104.
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Unicomp On-the-Ball, my first Buckling Spring keyboard
It has nice sound.
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I love the sharp, high pitched click of blue cherries. Granted, I got a Das III today and this is my first mechanical board ever. :love:
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I have to agree with you on the 'thock thock' of the topre. That would be my second choice behind the model m. For some reason the 'thock thock' sound reminds me of the Foxtrot comic strip.
I have to agree with this one as well, especially when you get those speed bursts.
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I have to agree with this one as well, especially when you get those speed bursts.
So true, once you get going it is quite the sound. To be honest, while I do like the HHKB, that "thock thock" sound is what makes it for me. How silly is that?
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It's all part of the experience. I love the way my Northgate feels, but it sounds like I am in the middle of a Scarface firefight every time I type on it. In that case, the sound kills the experience.
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It's all part of the experience. I love the way my Northgate feels, but it sounds like I am in the middle of a Scarface firefight every time I type on it. In that case, the sound kills the experience.
Say hello to my little friend!
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Based off of the videos I've seen, my favorite would have to be the chunky sound of the HHKB Pro. I love my 1391401, but I think I would like the sound better if it were slightly quieter and didn't have a metallic ring to it. I understand that a lot of people here enjoy that metallic ring, but I just can't get myself to like it.
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Favorite sounding kbd -- the Topre or HHKB.
It's a real shame to listen to music with earbuds while hacking on a Topre or HHKB! It's like driving a muscle car with a big-ass stereo.
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haha thats exactly how i feel about wearing headphones and typing on a model m
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You can get rid of the ping in an M with a little grease in each spring.
Might be exactly what's needed for the people who don't like the ring.
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Out of the keyboards I own:
Fav: Model M 1391401
2nd: Macally MK96
3rd: ABS M1
From videos and sound clips, I think I would like the sound of the Realforce/HHKB Pro the most, as well, so I may be trying to get one of the new 87Us at some point to try out (though I'd prefer to try and get it from a US seller - hoping EliteKeyboards can get it).
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IBM Model F XT. Music to my ears.
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Nice necro XD
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HHKB Type-S
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From personal experience the model m that cptbadass sent me. From sound clips it would have to be this one.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5fBx2-_wPk0
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I'm amazed how people find these old threads!
I might have to have a look around in the past myself ;)
This might be relevant: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=55910.0
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IBM Model F XT. Music to my ears.
+1, flossed Model F XT sounds so damn good. I've yet to hear anything that even comes close except for a beam spring ofc.
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1. Trampoline and latex modded ErgoClears with thick POM keycaps. Really thunky, low pitched and rather quiet. Subtle, yet still mechanical.
2. DIY silenced Topre. I prefer the sound of dental band modded Topre to type -s, somehow more subdued.
3. Buckling spring (nice sound, but too darn loud, otherwise it'd be higher on my list)
4. the rest....
I really don't like the high pitched click of MX clickys and most Alps. Sounds low quality / cheap to me..
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Cream Alps with worn-out dampeners and PBT caps (quiet, but distinctive click and nearly no sound on bottoming out or upstroke)
TypeMatrix 2030 with a thick skin (those scissor switches make a quiet "thock" sound, but the noise produced by keycaps is dampened by the rubber skin)
linear Cherry MX with thick keycaps, while I'm wearing headphones and not bottoming out
Kinesis Advantage with its buzzer turned on
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Model M. I'd probably say Model F, but I've never typed on/heard one before...
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1. IBM Model F XT. Solid, staccato, metallic.
2. IBM Model M SSK.
3. HHKB Pro 2.
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1. Complicated white ALPS
2. Model M
3. MX Blues
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1. Topre thock
2. PCB mounted browns (almost thock)
3. MX blues (clickety clack)
4. Plate mounted browns (boring)
Will try to get a buckling spring keyboard and see if I prefer it more than any of the above.
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Pinging Filco.
ping. ping. ping
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FC660C or HHKB. The ultimate in Topre thock.
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Without a doubt the Gamdias Hermes.
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1. Silenced Topre
2. IBM Model M
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IBM selectric typewriter.
Hands down the best.
For linear switches, the large resonating cavity in the dual magnet hall effect switches is quite nice on top-out.
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I think that my favorite sounding board is either my QFR with MX Reds, or my BlackWidow (2012) with MX Blues.
Although it has to be said that my BW sounds a little crunchy compared with QFR and Filco with MX Blues, from what I've seen on YouTube... Like I'm hearing and feeling play in the keycaps, making them a little more squishy and rattly. They seem to sound more clean and crisp, which is what I'm really after. My QFR certainly feels more solid, so I might try to get one of those with MX Blue to replace the BW.
I tend to prefer the sound of all my keyboards (except the Model M) when they are on a soft pad or on my lap.
I'm thinking of getting some rubber bands for the spacebar to make it sound less distinct from the rest of the keys.
This is the sound I'm after, more or less:
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Complicated Clicky Alps
Unicomp
IBM Model M
(sorry guys the F is too pingy to me)
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I really love the sound of this guy's keyboard, it's like clicky and thocky at the same time. It's a shame he can barely type lol.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=thusIHpu6ks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thusIHpu6ks)
I want one of these so bad...
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I really love the sound of this guy's keyboard, it's like clicky and thocky at the same time. It's a shame he can barely type lol.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=thusIHpu6ks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thusIHpu6ks)
I want one of these so bad...
dear god that is awful
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I really love the sound of this guy's keyboard, it's like clicky and thocky at the same time. It's a shame he can barely type lol.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=thusIHpu6ks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thusIHpu6ks)
I want one of these so bad...
dear god that is awful
Lol, what was awful his typing or the sound of his board?
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I always liked the sound of the IBM Model M.
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I'm surprised so many people love the model m. I'm in the opposite boat, I love the deep thock of the hhkb Type-S.
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F...........
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SSK
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I'm surprised so many people love the model m. I'm in the opposite boat, I love the deep thock of the hhkb Type-S.
You're not the only one. My girlfriend thinks it sounds like a wooden-wheeled carriage, or like those little beads kids put in their bicycle spokes (or used to).
I'm not particularly fond of the sound myself, especially typing quickly on it. Feels nice though!
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Model M's or Cherry Switch Blues are great if you work from home. But for an office, Cherry Browns.
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Nothing beats the sound of a good old typewriter. The noise actually has a calming effect on me because of the auditory link to my childhood, sitting in my dads office for hours playing with my toys while he typed away on his Underwood.
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Nothing beats the sound of a good old typewriter. The noise actually has a calming effect on me because of the auditory link to my childhood, sitting in my dads office for hours playing with my toys while he typed away on his Underwood.
Software hack to make the computer play a typewriter sound at each key?
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Damn, what a necrothread...it predates me...
#1
Runner up
Both of these are louder than buckling springs btw.
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Damn, what a necrothread...it predates me...
#1
Runner up
Both of these are louder than buckling springs btw.
My wife would kill me if I had that univac. I want to see the insides of both of those switches. But mostly I want to see the mechanics behind that unique lock action with shift canceling it out on that Marquardt.
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Damn, what a necrothread...it predates me...
#1
Runner up
Both of these are louder than buckling springs btw.
My wife would kill me if I had that univac. I want to see the insides of both of those switches. But mostly I want to see the mechanics behind that unique lock action with shift canceling it out on that Marquardt.
Probably a servo attached to the key and a horizontal lock. So the servo moves the key slightly to a side and it enters the lock, and then the servo can move slightly to the opposite side and unlock.
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Like the sound on my MX Greens the most. Reminds me of those Turbo blow off valve sounds! :D
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I like matias standard clicky (alps). I also like mx greens alot.
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This ;) http://deskthority.net/videos-f63/keyboard-raindrops-t5429.html
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This ;) http://deskthority.net/videos-f63/keyboard-raindrops-t5429.html
That is amazing! :)
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:cool: MUSIC!
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I personally really like how topre sounds, just from typing videos, and I liked topre when I tried it.
My KMAC was my favorite sounding keyboard that i've ever typed on..it similar to the sound of topre but way better..I think i have a crappy video somewhere of it
I do love my SSK's sound as well but the KMAC beats it in my eyes
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Damn, what a necrothread...it predates me...
#1 [univac]
Runner up [marqardt]
Both of these are louder than buckling springs btw.
My wife would kill me if I had that univac. I want to see the insides of both of those switches. But mostly I want to see the mechanics behind that unique lock action with shift canceling it out on that Marquardt.
ask and ye shall receive:
univac:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/triplehaata/sets/72157635465105408/
marqardt:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/triplehaata/sets/72157636880588075/
marquardt switch takeapart (this is a dual-action switch)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/triplehaata/sets/72157642397417604/
About the lock / cancel, it's very common on trypewriters and typewriter-esque keyboard. My favourite implementation is this microswitch (hall effect) board I have that uses the same insert (that goes "around" the switch) for both the press and release.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dork_vader/sets/72157638463953404/
The IBM displaywriter has it as well:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dork_vader/sets/72157638625266495/ (turns out I didn't take pictures of it. Gotta fix that!)
Even my old selectric does it. I would say this is probably common for keyboards that implement "shift lock" instead of caps lock.
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As I'm sure I've said, my favourite sounding keyboard is my selectric typewriter, probably followed by my space-saving 3278 beam spring with solenoid. vintage "dual magnet" hall effect have these cool resonating cavities in each switch and sound great for lienars.
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Model F and complicated blue alps
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IBM Model F XT (capacitive buckling spring).
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<snip>
HaaTa, I love the sounds of your first and second choices. Each has its charm, but I think, like you, that I would give first place to the Univac. What are the switches? Have you converted it to USB, and if so, how?
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The univac totally sounds like popcorn popping ^-^
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IBM Model F is my 1st choice. I love the crisp, snappy sound followed by a pingy afternote. Next is a tie between my modified AEK II (damped/tactile cream ALPS SKBM modded to undamped/clicky) IBM Model M. I also enjoy MX Blues/Greens.
I haven't heard them in person, but the NMB Hi-Tek Clicky Space Invaders sound great on some of the online videos posted.
The Univac posted above sounds pretty sweet.
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I really like the matias or clicky greens. They are amazing. And then there is the thonk of the hhkb, pure bliss to type quickly on.
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I really like the matias or clicky greens. They are amazing. And then there is the thonk of the hhkb, pure bliss to type quickly on.
If you are referring to the standard clicky matias I absolutely agree. The click leaf really males a difference from a mx switch. I recently recieved a model m and I found that I liked the sound of the Matias better.
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Model F for sure. Sounds solid and as mentioned by some others, the rigging can be greatly reduced by floss modding if you're not into that part of the sound.